Georgia Has Cannabis on Its Mind

The University of Georgia conducted a statewide poll for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this month, and the findings on everything from Trump to cannabis were rather surprising.

On the topic of cannabis, 50 percent of Peach State respondents support full legalization (up four points from 2017), with 46 percent opposed. Likewise, 77 percent support expanding Georgia's medical cannabis (MMJ) program (up six points from 2017), with only 20 percent opposed.

As is often the case, Democrats and Independents showed stronger support for ending prohibition than Republicans, which chose prohibition over legalization by a 66-to-31 percent margin. Right wingers did support expanding medical cannabis, however, by nearly the same margin (65 to 32). Democrats, meanwhile, offered majority support for legalization (65 to 32) and MMJ expansion (87 to 11), as did Independents (54 to 44 for legalization, 75 to 19 for MMJ expansion).

How about the Mango Mussolini? In the 2016 election, Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by more than five points (51.3 percent to 45.6) in Georgia, but the president currently has a 37 percent approval rate (down eight points from 2017), with 59 percent disapproval. Democrats obviously hate him (97 percent disapproval), and Republicans think he walks on water (81 percent approval), but his approval-to-disapproval ratio among Independents is 26 to 69.

Even more surprisingly, the Democratic party now has a higher favorable rating (39 percent, vs. 48 percent unfavorable) than the Republicans (34 percent, vs. 57 percent unfavorable). Interestingly, most Independents hate both parties, with approval for the Democrats (21 percent) barely topping the Republicans (17 percent). The GOP tax plan was also underwater, with 34 percent positive views versus 38 percent negative.